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Sittwe at 200: Milestones Along the City’s Long Journey
13 Feb 2026
As 2026 began, Sittwe quietly stepped into its third century. Arakan’s largest city, the capital of Arakan (Rakhine) State has once again become a place where history feels close, heavy, and unfinished.
On January 12, Sittwe is not only marking its 200th anniversary. It is also, in northern Arakan, the last remaining stronghold of Myanmar’s military council and its state administration.
Beyond checkpoints and naval patrols, the sound of war is drawing closer. The Arakan Army’s offensives have steadily advanced toward the Regional Operations Command headquarters based in the city. In this moment, Sittwe has become the most strategically important location for both sides and the symbolic heart of Arakan’s future.
So how did Sittwe arrive here, at this crossroads of history and conflict? What paths did it take across two centuries? What did it survive world war and civil war, storms and riots, booms and collapse? And what kind of city is Sittwe today?
This is a walk through those questions.
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